The Friendly Church with the Bell by Lexi Hylton

         

             

If you’re ever at the Blockbuster on Garth Road, make sure to turn down 712 Schilling Avenue. There, right behind the video store is one of my personal favorite symbols of Baytown Texas. How and why is it a symbol you might ask? I see it as a symbol of change, love, and peace .If you’ve ever been told you can’t go to heaven due to race, sexual preface or things you’ve done in the past, then St. Paul’s is the place for you. They are a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a.k.a. the ELCA. This humongous congregation of people are all across American, spreading their love and peace wherever they go. It doesn’t matter who you are, the ELCA believes that all God’s children have a place in the choir. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not a hardcore Christian or some sort of God Warrior. I just believe that everyone deserves the chance to worship in a safe environment away from all the chaos and stereotypes society puts people through.

        
             St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized June eighth of 1943. The pastor, Reverend J. A. Pietsch preached from 1944 to 1949. For the first five years the people worshiped in a community building made possible by the Humble Oil and Refining Company. On June thirteenth of 1948, a white colonial style church was built for the people on 1904 West Main Street. The congregation accepted a donation of a large tower bell from Zion Lutheran Church of Charlottenburg, nearby Hallettsville. It had served for a period of fifty-two years. The bell was made in 1896 by the Stuckstede Bell Foundry of St. Louis, MO. The church was known as "The Christmas Card Church" or "The Friendly Church in the Pines” because it was built along the tree line of the forest.  The Texas Highway Department made plans for extending State Highway 201 to form a loop around Baytown in 1959. Sadly the little church was right in the way for the new highway, so a new location had to be found. The people searched for two years and finally the site committee voted to purchase some land on Schilling Avenue. A ground breaking ceremony was held on May tenth of 1964, and the foundation was set for the new church on August second of 1964. The church here today was the final design and the bell is the original one from 1896. The Church has a more recent nickname now and that is, “The Friendly Church with the Bell."

 I interviewed a few members of the congregation at St. Paul’s on a Sunday after the service. Susan Clanton, a respected member and a good family friend of mine happily let me take a moment of her time. She had this to say about The Friendly Church with the Bell, “I feel St. Paul’s, it’s a blessing to me. From the day I walked in the doors of this church I felt very welcomed, um… loved. I feel like this is my family this… this is my larger family.” Susan’s been a member of the church for about 15 years now. She had too many good memories to choose from when I asked about them. They ranged from seeing her children and grandchildren be baptized in the church to events with the youth. In the end she decided to go with the day I interviewed her because her two newest grandchildren, Corey and Gavin, had just received their first bibles. During the interview; which I had to record because of a recent hand injury, little 3 year old Corey politely stated that she had to use the restroom. It was very cute and added to the fond memory of that day. I also interviewed the brains behind the church, Jada Hylton. She’s the church secretary and has been in office since 2004. She also happens to be my mother. We’ve been members of the church for a good 12 years. When I asked Jada why she took the job she told me this, “It was a fun challenge I’ve never had before.” She says it’s fun getting the opportunity to create new ministries such as the Food Pantry which now in recent years has become part of the Houston Food Bank which helps feed thousands of people in need of some grub. Also she had a big hand in the start of the St. Paul’s After School Program. It’s basically a daycare for elementary school kids who are at risk of going down the wrong paths in life do to dangerous family/environment situations, bad home lives, and or financial problems.  She said that the church is a symbol of help and outreach in the community. I asked Jada to recall one of her favorite memories that happened in the church. She said her favorite one was a long time ago on a potluck Sunday. A very elderly member of the church, Marilyn Hessman, who is now in heaven, forgot one of her shoes in the fellowship hall. She ate her lunch and went home, completely forgetting about her shoe. Marilyn didn’t realize she left it till the next day. She went all the way back to church that Monday asking if she’d left her foot wear there or not. Jada always gets tickled at the thought of it and couldn’t tell me the story without laughing.

             If you run into a member of the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Schilling Avenue, I bet you they have nothing but good things to say about the establishment. St. Paul’s has already helped so much in the city of Baytown most don’t realize it. I hope you take the opportunity to check the place out. Don’t worry, no one bites. St. Paul’s welcomes all with open arms.

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Works Cited

Clanton, Susan. Personal interview. 3 Nov. 2013

"History - St. Paul's Lutheran Church ELCA." St. Paul's Lutheran Church ELCA. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://www.stpaulsbaytown.org/history.html>.

Hylton, Jada. Personal interview. 3 Nov. 2013